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2025 College Draft Prospect Profile: Chris Kavanagh

By Adam Lamberti | Mar 27, 2025

When Pat Kavanagh graduated, the assumption was that his brother Chris was going to slide flawlessly into the QB1 role at X for Notre Dame.

What people didn’t realize is that they have different skillsets — and that’s okay.

Whereas Pat spends a lot of his time behind the net, looking to feed and dissect a defense, Chris is exceptional at attacking from the righty wing and sweeping to the middle, looking for his own shot.

That’s not to say Chris can’t pass — he has 75 career assists — but you need to put him in his natural habitat and allow himself to be himself, which is letting him run loose on the right wing instead of having the offense run through him, like it did with Pat.

It’s what Notre Dame realized after a few games, which is why they’ve played around with putting Devon McLane back at X to allow Chris to be Chris.

It’s rare, but if Chris gets drafted to the right situation in the PLL, where he’s on the righty wing with an X attackman and talent around him, he could be a better professional player than he is in college (and he’s already a really good college player).

Chris Kavanagh's Player Comparison:

Right-Handed Matt Kavanagh with shades of Ryan Brown

Lamberti's Projected Draft Pick:

No. 5 to Carolina Chaos

Like I said above, Kavanagh is a player whose skills seem bound to translate at the next level.

Like you typically expect of a Kavanagh brother, the first things that stand out are his tenacity and ability to make plays in chaos.

Whether it’s in transition, on the ride, on a loose ball or just an unsettled situation, Kavanagh is terrific at capitalizing on these opportunities with his skill and hustle.

Late in the shot or game clock? There’s no better player in college than Kavanagh at making something out of nothing.

His goal against Maryland early in the season was a perfect example of that. His defender was playing great defense late in the shot clock, yet Kavanagh used his athleticism and creativity to somehow find the back of the net.

In the faster pace of the PLL, Kavanagh will be incentivized to be aggressive going to the cage, which is a scary thought given his arsenal as a dodger.

There’s not a dodge Kavanagh can’t execute.

From inside rolls, to question mark dodges, to coming up the hash, to shooting down the righty alley, Kavanagh has it all.

I’ve heard the term “playground lacrosse” used to describe him, and I think it’s an accurate description. He looks like he’s just playing around in the backyard when it comes to his dodging and finishing at the net.

He’s particularly proficient at shooting on the run like a midfielder, whether that’s sweeping topside or dodging down the righty alley.

And then, on top of his dodging prowess and creativity, he’s an awesome shooter.

He’s shooting around 36% for his career. With the amount of shots Chris takes, this is a very impressive clip.

He has a snappy release from the right wing that is reminiscent of Ryan Brown. He loves pulling it low to high and is such a weapon on the power play.

From a feeding standpoint, I especially appreciate Kavanagh’s ability to analyze and make feeds on the move. With the amount of attention Kavanagh draws when he dodges, being able to find the open man with a slide incoming is not an easy task at all.

Kavanagh’s skill, competitiveness and championship pedigree make him a top priority for teams looking for a righty attackman. The Chaos seem like the perfect landing spot for him as an initiator who raises the energy level of his teammates, as well.

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